Disclaimer: Besides owning the series and movies on DVD, I own nothing else from 'The X-Files', as much as I'd like to :)
Introduction: I've been an X-Phile for the last several years, and since the show has ended, I satisfy my X-Files obsession through writing fan-fiction about my 2 favorite TV characters (as perverted as that sounds). I've written several stories for fun, most remain uncompleted - but this is the first one I've ever put up. I had this inspiration after watching one of my favorite episodes, Dreamland.
A/N: Please keep in mind that this short story is the prologue of a longer one I've been writing for awhile. I've hit a writer's block with it. And since I hate reading incomplete stories by authors who have no intention of finishing them, I didn't want to post a story that I might not get around to finishing anytime soon - so for now, I'll post the first chapter of it because I feel that this short chapter is capable of standing alone. I liked writing this short story mainly because I enjoy reading and writing conversations between Mulder and Scully - and since music inspires me to write, I put a bit of music in this one. Enjoy!
Prologue
'I've never known a girl like you before...'
"Mulder, please change the station," a red headed woman sighed.
'Now just like in a song from the days of yore,' the radio continued. A dark haired man, who sat next to her, was driving. He was humming the song to himself.
"Mulder?" the woman repeated.
"Hmm?" Mulder said, snapping out of his reverie.
"Please change the station. I can't stand this song."
"How could you not like Edwyn Collins, Scully?" Mulder asked, glancing over at his partner who was staring out the window.
'Now my hands are bleedin' and my knees are raw...'
"I don't know. I just don't like this song," Scully said.
"Then what do you listen to? Probably Simon and Garfunkel..." Mulder snorted.
"What's wrong with them?" Scully asked seriously. Mulder frowned at her.
"Simon and Garfunkel...? Yeesh..." Mulder said.
"I like songs with meaning or a back story," Scully explained. Mulder fiddled with the radio knob until he found another clear station.
'Hey little sister, shotgun! It's a nice day to start again... It's a nice day for a white wedding...'
Mulder chuckled as he recognized the song. "Don't tell me this song doesn't have a back story," Mulder said, drumming his hands on the steering wheel.
"Well, I meant songs that don't concern the immorality of girls who marry because of their pregnancy..." Scully grumbled.
"Listen to Pink Floyd then. Their songs have metaphors for life – they have hidden meanings," Mulder said, driving past a sign that read 'Now Entering New Mexico'.
"It might help if I was stoned off my ass," Scully mumbled. Mulder chuckled.
"'Dark Side of the Moon' was surreal for people. 'Echoes', for many, was as close to any out-of-the-body experience you could have without being stoned."
"But you do know the members were probably stoned off their asses. Not to mention their lead was a schizophrenic."
"Ah, so you do know a little on the subject," Mulder smiled.
"When I was younger, yeah," Scully said grudgingly.
"Oh Scully, you never cease to amaze me," Mulder sighed. Scully rolled her eyes.
"It wasn't like I was locked in a closet all of my life... Anyway, Mulder – please tell me why we flew halfway across the country to New Mexico?"
"My source contacted me."
"Yes, I know that. But why does that warrant us to fly -"
"He promised us a sight of a lifetime," Mulder said. Scully groaned. She resumed looking out the car window. The radio started cutting out the further they drove into New Mexico. Mulder changed the station once again, stopping on the only clear station available.
'...your thoughts will soon be wandering, the way they always do. When you're riding sixteen hours and there's nothing much to do. And you don't feel much like riding, you just wish the trip was through...'
"This is a good song," Scully said to Mulder.
'Say, here I am, on the road again. There I am, up on the stage...'
"Bob Seger, Scully? I didn't peg you as a fan of -"
"I never said I was a Bob Seger fan," Scully corrected. "I just said I liked this song."
'...there I go. Turn the page...'
"Well, at least that's one thing we have in common when it comes to music," Mulder said, smiling at his partner. She smiled back. The listened to the song in silence, enjoying the rare agreement. Scully pulled out a book and buried her face in it.
'As the sweat pours out your body, like the music that you play...'
They were about 10 miles from their destination when he saw, a few miles ahead, several black cars.
'Here I am, on the road again. There I am, up on a stage... Ah, here I go, playing star again. There I go... There I go...' the song finished.
It was close to sundown now. He would've disregarded the black cars ahead if it wasn't for the fact that they had their high-beams on and were speeding ominously toward him. He realized that they were government vehicles when they took a standard roadblock formation about a mile ahead. Mulder quickly flipped the radio off.
"Scully," Mulder said suddenly.
"Hmm?" she said, not looking up from her book.
"Look. I don't think we're gonna meet that source after all," he said, pointing at the barricade ahead.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"A few miles away from Area 51."
"No wonder, Mulder. That's a restricted military zone -"
"Yeah, but this is a public highway. They must've known we were coming," Mulder said, slowing down to a stop a few yards before the cars. Several soldiers were standing around two men in suits. They raised their rifles at Mulder and Scully's car.
"Get out of the vehicle," the younger suited man announced. The older suited man was puffing on a cigarette. Mulder's mind immediately went to the Cigarette Smoking Man.
"Do you think if we ignore them, they'll go away?" Mulder asked Scully. She gave him a skeptical look.
"Get out of the vehicle now," the younger suit repeated.
"I guess not," Mulder said, giving Scully a reassuring smile. They reluctantly got out of the car, hands slightly raised.
"What is your business here?" the older suit demanded. Scully looked over at Mulder, unsure if Mulder was going to speak. He gave her a slight nod, indicating he was going to speak.
"What is it to you? This is a public highway. You have no right stopping us. For all you know, we're a couple going to Calif -"
"This public highway borders a restricted military base -" the young suit started.
"So you stop everybody who passes through here, demanding their intention?" Mulder asked, knowing he was only irritating the officials.
"We do if we know of their intentions. Where are you traveling from?" the older suit demanded. It was no use lying – he guessed that they already knew. Why else would they pull them over?
"I'm Special Agent Mulder, and this is Special Agent Scully. We're from the FBI," Mulder surrendered.
"Identification?" the older suit asked, puffing lazily on his cigarette. Mulder and Scully took out their badges and flashed them before stowing them away.
"The FBI..." the older suit chuckled slowly, as if it were a joke. "We're going to have to ask you folks to turn around and leave -"
"Why? We've done nothing wrong," Mulder demanded loudly. The soldiers raised their rifles again threateningly.
"Mulder -" Scully warned.
"We know why you're here," the younger suit scoffed.
"To uncover the truth -" Mulder started, but the suited men started chuckling. "About the mysterious test flights you do here – UFO's and military aircraft using alien technology," Mulder continued. The older suit merely smiled at Mulder as if he was nothing more than a joke. He took a last puff on his cigarette, dropped it on the ground, then stepped on it. He walked up to Mulder and leaned in toward him.
"Sorry to tell you... But there's no such thing as UFO's and aliens..." the older suit said, giving Mulder a look of amusement border-lining a sneer.
"Then what is it you do here?" Scully cut in coolly.
"None of your concern – now please leave or we'll escort you ourselves. And we are going to let your agency know of this incident," the younger suit replied flatly.
Mulder and Scully exchanged glances that told each other that they had no choice but to surrender. They got into the car. Before leaving, the younger suit knocked on the car window. Mulder reluctantly rolled it down.
"Don't let us catch you and your, uh – girlfriend out here again," he smirked, nodding at Scully who gave the younger suit a look of utter annoyance. "Next time we won't be so, uh... forgiving."
"Oh, forgiving, that's what that was," Mulder said sarcastically, before rolling up his window. The man merely smirked before turning around and walking back toward the cars. For a split second, Mulder considered giving the middle finger to the retreating backs of the men but then decided against it. He didn't want to find out what the 'not-so-forgiving' punishment was.
The soldiers waited until Mulder and Scully had turned around and were about a mile up the road before retreating themselves. Scully could tell by the silence and way Mulder was driving, that he was disappointed.
"Mulder..." Scully said after ten minutes of deafening silence.
"Scully, don't," Mulder mumbled.
"Well... Are you at all concerned how those men knew you were coming? Maybe your source was trying to set you up...?" Scully suggested quietly. Mulder sighed.
"No... I don't think so," Mulder said. Scully decided not to argue. Mulder interpreted his partner's silence as a sign of surrender. He flipped the radio back on and changed it to the only clear station. Mulder chuckled to himself as he recognized the song.
'We don't need no education. We don't need no thought control... No dark sarcasm in the classroom..." the radio blared. Mulder smiled to himself; the song, oddly, cheered him up.
"Why is it funny, Mulder? Because we were just discussing Pink Floyd?" asked Scully, who was not nearly amused as her partner was. Mulder held a finger up, quieting her.
'All in all, it's just another brick in the wall... All in all, you're just another brick in the wall...'
"What's so funny?"
"You know what this song is talking about?"
"Well, I thought it was about people who build up a wall around them to protect themselves from the world when the world does them wrong – metaphorically speaking, it's talking about human nature and how we deal with issues." Scully said. Mulder frowned at her. "Sorry – I wasn't that into Pink Floyd," Scully added defensively.
"No, you're right, but in a way, it's about us. Them. The Wall."
"Establishment," Scully said flatly.
"Exactly. It's about control – well in this situation, government control – about how every man, woman, and child are only pieces of the big picture. Nothing more. I just thought it was funny considering that those men -"
"I got it, Mulder," she said with an air of impatience. "How those men are the epitome of 'the wall'. And how 'the wall' represents us – the products of the government's lies used to keep people from the harsh truth – to keep us happy. In a way – they use us, in a twisted way, against us. Ignorance is bliss, Mulder."
"Ah, it seems you do know a little on the subject," he teased.
"Sure Mulder. Keep living your delusions. Not all of us spent our teen years half stoned, listening to Pink Floyd's 'Echoes' while playing Pong in our mother's basement," she joked. Mulder smiled.
"Not you, I'm sure," Mulder said in a mock serious voice. "You know, Scully, it wouldn't surprise me if you were Miss Goody Two Shoes -" Mulder teased. Scully frowned. She opened her mouth to speak but thought better of it. She pulled out her book again, irritated. "So... What did you do that would be frowned upon in society, as a kid?" Mulder asked, sensing his partner's irritation. Scully closed her book again.
"Well, when I was in second grade, I cheated on a spelling test," she said, nodding.
"No, I mean real things. Things that your parents still don't know about."
"Oh, well..." she hesitated. "When I was thirteen, I went through this phase where after my parents went to bed, I would sneak outside and smoke my mom's cigarette's," she admitted. Mulder looked slightly surprised.
"Oh, you were a rebel. Why?"
"I don't know. I guess because I knew that my dad would've killed me if he caught me – I know, it's weird."
"It makes sense to me," Mulder said seriously. "Kids at that age are constantly seeking approval or some sign that their parents cared – and by punishing you, he gave you the message that he did care. About you and what you were doing."
"Yeah, I guess... I guess I did a lot of things for my dad's attention. He was gone a lot for work, so I never saw him much. And when I did see him, I never got time alone with him -"
"'A lot of things'? I have the impression that I'm missing several stories that would reveal to me your 'alter ego'," Mulder joked.
"Well, I'm not proud of them," she admitted.
"I guess I really don't know the real you, then," he said, smiling at his partner who was frowning.
"I guess I'm not the 'Miss Goody Two Shoes' you had me pegged as," she said irritably.
"I guess not – do tell some more about your unruly teenage lifestyle," he pressed.
"That's not fair. I get nothing from you?"
"No, my life wasn't as exciting or... rebellious as yours seemingly was -"
"So you were the Miss – or should I say Mister Goody Two Shoes."
"No," he scowled. "Fine. One thing about me. Okay, when I was twelve, a few of my buddies snuck out at night and broke into the arcade – well not really broke into, the arcade was open – but we snuck out of the house -" he explained, but stopped when he saw the look on his partner's face. She rolled her eyes.
"That's the worse you've done? Every kid has done that."
"Geez Scully, I think I'm seeing a whole new side of you," he laughed, shaking his head.
"Yeah... It's hard to believe where I am now," she said, gazing out of the window, soundly slightly accomplished. She rubbed her temple. "I have a nasty migraine starting... Only a day from home..." she complained.
"I have a slight headache coming on too," Mulder said.
"Maybe from highway hypnosis," Scully said slyly, smirking at her partner.
"Scully, it's our job to do this. To uncover the mysteries -"
"Of the universe. I know, Mulder," she finished. "I just wish we could stay closer to home for awhile. No cross country traveling. It wears me out – and I never get to spend time with my family or have a life -" she complained. Mulder snorted. "What? What's so funny? Me wanting to have a life? Every time we travel, we see families, outside, playing with their dog, having fun – don't you want that? Don't you want to stop and get out of the damn car?" Scully asked. Mulder hesitated before answering.
"Well, no. Not now – that's not really my goal in life," Mulder said. He saw a flash of disappointment in his partner's eyes. "Is that what you want?"
"Eventually, yeah... If that's possible," she said sadly. "But I would like to before I'm fifty or something..." she added. Mulder felt a twinge of guilt. "Anyway – I'm going to sleep a little before we get to the airport. Try and shake off this migraine..." she said, leaning her chair back and closing her eyes.
Mulder felt the need to say something reassuring, but couldn't think of anything, so they spent the rest of the ride in silence.
A/N: This is my first published fanfic, and I'd greatly appreciate constructive criticism. And I tried extremely hard to catch any spelling, punctuation, grammar, typing, etc. mistakes - so I apologize if you catch one of the ones that slipped through if these kind of things bug you (like they do to me ;))
Please read and review! :) I'd greatly appreciate it.
(I suppose I better credit the songs mentioned here, which I don't own in any way. In order of appearance:
Never Known a Girl - Edwyn Collins
White Wedding - Billy Idol
Turn the Page - Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) - Pink Floyd)